It was a bittersweet birthday for Carol Burnett.
The comedy icon has opened up about her particular relationship with Lucille Ball – and the touching birthday reward she acquired from the late “I Love Lucy” legend on the day of her dying.
Burnett, 92, discusses Ball’s impression on her Hollywood profession within the upcoming Shout TV! particular “The Carol Burnett Show: Mother of All Marathons,” which premieres Could 10.
“The woman who influenced me probably the most was Lucille Ball,” the Golden Globe-winning actress says in a preview of the particular obtained by Folks.
“She came to see me in ‘Once Upon a Mattress,’ which was my first Broadway break,” Burnett continued, “and she was there the second night, and I was more nervous that she was in the audience than I was the night before, when all the critics were.”
The pair hit it off after Ball gave Burnett some supportive recommendation backstage.
“We sat and we talked for about a half-hour and she was so supportive and she said, ‘Kid…’ – she called me kid, she was 22 years older than I was – and she said, ‘Kid, whenever you need me, give me a call,’” Burnett remembered within the clip.
The “Palm Royale” actress later referred to as in that favor when she was provided “The Carol Burnett Show” in 1967.
“Just a few short years later, I was lucky enough to be given a special if I could get a major guest star,” the Emmy winner defined. “And I acquired up the nerve and referred to as her, and he or she mentioned, ‘Hey kid, you’re doing nice. What’s occurring?’
“And I was so nervous and I kind of flustered,” Burnett continued, “and he or she mentioned, ‘When do you need me?’
“She came on the show, and then later on, years later, I did her show after ‘I Love Lucy,’ the comedian added, “and she was a guest on my show when I got my variety show.”
Their friendship continued till Ball’s dying at age 77 on April 26,1989, which was additionally Burnett’s 56th birthday. Regardless of the “Here’s Lucy” icon’s passing, her birthday reward to Burnett was nonetheless delivered.
“We were very close, and she always sent me flowers on my birthday,” Burnett says. “So this one morning I acquired up, turned on the tv set – it was my birthday – and he or she had died that morning, on my birthday.
“And that afternoon, I got the flowers that said, ‘Happy birthday, kid.’”
Since “The Carol Burnett Show” led to 1978 after 11 seasons, Burnett has starred in “Annie,” “All My Children,” and “Better Call Saul.”
Nevertheless, after successful seven Emmys, six Golden Globes, a Grammy and a Kennedy Middle Honor all through her spectacular profession, Burnett has teased that her newest challenge, the Apple TV+ sequence “Palm Royale,” will probably be her final.
“Probably,” she mentioned when requested about retirement again in October. “Unless there’s a cameo or something fun!”
